Olivier Martinez would happily be a painter or sportsman if he wasn't an actor.

The French actor is known for his work in hit movies and has starred alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Richard Gere, Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell.

His latest career move is into TV, with History Channel show Texas Rising. The series charts how law-enforcement agency the Texas Rangers Division was formed.

"That was like a dream come true [acting out the Wild West]. I'm from very far from Texas, and even if I share the Spanish roots with my character, I had to engage with books to learn the situation and how it was perceived from both sides," Olivier told People.

"My luck is I'm a good rider, which was a great advantage for an actor in this situation. They put me on a horse, they looked at me, and they said, 'You're fine, you do not have to train.'"

As well as acting duties, the star has his hands full with son Maceo, who he welcomed with wife Halle Berry in October 2013.

He and Halle got together in 2010 after meeting on the set of Dark Tide, tying the knot three years later.

Halle isn't the first famous lady the 49-year-old has romanced, and he counts Kylie Minogue, Mira Sorvino and Juliette Binoche as exes. However Olivier isn't that bothered with A-list life, and says he has always had a backup career plan.

"I would love to be either a painter or a soccer player because those are the two things I enjoy when I'm not working," he smiled.